Coin-operated vending-machine.



No. 648,893. Patented May I, I900.

W. F. BAGLEY.

COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE.

' (Application filed. Apr. 19, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheei l.

' v l l fiuwcs'ecy:

No. 648,893, Patented May I, I900.

V W. F. BAGLEY.

COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE.

(Application and Apr. 19, 1899.)

3 shuts-sheet 3.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT Grinch.

\VIL LIAM F. BAGLEY, OF CHICAGO, ITZLINOIS.

COIN-OPERATED VENDING-MACHINE.

S'iECIFICATION forming part'of LettersPatent No. 648,893, dated May 1, 1900. Application filed April 19,1399. Serial No. 713,573. (No model.)

T 0 ct whom (It may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. BAGLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin- Operated Vending- Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and economically-constructed slotmachine for vending gum and other confectionery, the mechanism of which is so construetedas to prevent the successful substitution of spurious means to operate the actuating mechanism of the machine for the standard coin with which it is intended the machine shall be operated.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of-my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sect-ion through the lower por-.

tion of the same, in which the actuating mechanism of the machine is situated. Fig. 3 is a rear view of said actuating mechanism removed from the case of the machine. Fig. 4

1 is a plan view of the under side of said actuone of the coin-receiving openings of the ma-.

chine.

In the drawings, A represents a case of rectangular proportions, the rear portion of which is preferably considerably higher than the lower portion thereof, which latter projects forward a considerable distance, so as to provide a ledge or delivery-table upon which the transactions with the machine are performed. This table consists of a horizontal plate B, which has its rear portion extended vertically a suitable distance and then horizontally, so as to form a shield 12 to hide from view and prevent interference with the actuating mechanism of the machine and provide a platform 0, upon which the gum or other confectionery is stacked in sheet-metal chutes or hoppers d. These chutes-or hoppers consist of a'rear vertical wall which has a suitable number of forwardly-projecting partition-walls d, the forward edges of which latter are flanged laterally, so as to make several of these hoppers or chutes, according to the number it is desired the machine should have in order to separate the differently-flavored-gum or con-fectionerywith which it is intended to stock the machine.

If desired, the front of the case A just above the plane of the platform a may be provided with a glass-covered opening A, so as to expose to view edges of the packages of gum or other confectionery to enable the purchaser to make an intelligent selection, substantially as hereinafterfully explained.

The packages of gum which it is desired to purchase are ejected one at a time from the hopperdthrough a suitable opening 0' in the front of the case by means of an ejector 6. This ejector consists of an L-shaped piece of metal, the horizontal branch of which moves in the longitudinal slot e in the platform 0, which slots extend centrally under each chute. The vertical branch of the ejector e extends downward from the rear of the horizontal branch thereof, and these ejectors are pivoted to the upper extremity of the rear vertically-bent portion f of a horizontally-dis posed longitudinal sliding bar F. This slid- .ing bar extends through a suitable guideopening in the drop-wall g of a retainingplate G, (the purpose or function of which will be hereinafter more fully explained',) and the forward end of said bar is'bentaipward and is connected to the slide-plate H. The free end of the L-shaped ejector has a normal tendency to tilt up above the plane of platform a by reason of the forward pressure upon its vertical arm of aspring f, one end of which is secured to the portion f of bar F. The bars F are normally kept at the limit of their forward movement by means of a coil con traction-spring I, which has one end suitably connected to the drop-wall g of plate G and the other end secured to the vertical rear portion ofsaid bars, as shown. Thus when the bar F is pushed to the limit of its rear movement, substantially as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and then released the contraction of spring 1 causes the said bar F to return to its normal or forward position, while the forward pressure of the spring f Causes the ejector to tilt, so that the raised forward end of the horizontal portion thereof will come back of the lowermost package of gum or con- I fectionery and push the same out through openingcas said'barF resumes its original 5 position.

At a suitable point in front of the upper part of caseA and at a point in front of each chute d I provide the plate B with coin-openingsO. In the machine shownin the draw- IO ings there are four of these circular openings, and their diameter is just 'sufiicient to permit of the passage therethrough of, say, a cent. Reciprocal longitudinally under each of these openings in'suitable channels 9 g, I made in the retaining-plate G,which,as shown, is screwed or otherwise secured flush against the under side of plate B, are the sliding plates Il. These slides H are about the same thickness as the coin used in the machine and are about one inch wide by four inches long, and when in their normal posit-ions one end is very near the forward edgeof plate ll. Each slide H is provided with a coin-opening .Lw'liich when the slide is in its normal posiz 5 tion willncome concentrically under the companion opening 0 in plate ll, and, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawingsa rectangular section half the width of said plateis cut away therefrom, commencing at a'transverse plane in- 0 tersectiug the center of said opening and extending about an inch and a quarter toward the rear end of the plate, so as to form a recess m-iu one side of said plate, thus leaving a'point a: alongside of opening 0, the function 5 of'which will hereinafter be more fully explained.

- Theforward movementof slides His checked by a bolt is, which consists of a r etangular body that is seated and reciprocal-in a trans- 40 Verse groove k, leading from the channels g, and has a blade k of one-half its thickness, which, together with a short portion of its body, is normally shot into the recess in and intercepts the portion not the rear end of said slide I-I, resulting from the making of the recess. The end edge of the blade 70 of the blade is curved, so as to describe a segment ofa circle corresponding in diameter to that of a cent, and this curvature is such that when a cent is dropped into the opening C and the machine manipulated to procure the confectionery said cent will, as the slide H is moved to the rear, engage the edge of said blade 70? and push bolt 70 aside, so as 'to permit said plate to continue its rearward movement until the cent is pushed over and can drop down through the opening 0 in the retaining-plate G into the compartment of-the case below the bed B.' y l Should the attempt be made to defraud the machine by the employment of a metal disk thinner than a cent, just before it came in contact with. the blade of the bolt k'it would be lifted by the upward pressure under it of the spring-actuatedpawl 79, which will hereinafter be more fully explained, and will slide over the thin blade k of said bolt, which latter will retain its normal position and remain in the path'of and intercept the point .1; of slide H. Should the attempt be made to employ a disk of less diameter than a cent, it would, if too small, fall through an opening 9 in plate G, located concentrically therein under opening 0, and drop into the compartment of the case below the bed B without affecting the bolt 7.: when the slide was operated, and if the spurious disk was too large to fall through opening g-, but less in diameter than the cent, it would not be able to push the bolt aside a sullicient distance to prevent said bolt from intercepting point at, thus stopping further progress of the slide.

In the bottom of the groove in which the bolt 7, moves, the plate G is provided with a transversely-elongatcd slot 1;, and extending down from this slot is astud -l,whic.h depends from said bolt. 'lhis stud 4 is connected to a pin 5, projecting in transverse alinement therewith from the under side of plate (l, by a coil contraction-spring 6. This con tractionspring normally keeps the bolt k in the position shown in Fig. 5.

Suitably secured to and just below plate G in the same transverse plane as the portion of bolt k nearest the opening is a station ary shaft 8, and journaled thereon in such position that it can extend up through a longitudinal slot '7 in the center of the channel in which slide ll moves between opening 0 and opening r is tlle pawl p, and loosely journaled on this shaft 8 just along the side of pawl p is a pawl 9. The pawl 11 inclines upward and to the rear of shaft 8, and pawl 9 projects slightly upward and toward the front of the machine, and both of these pawls are engaged by the ends of a coil torsion-spring 35, the coil of which surrounds shaft 8, so that in the normal position of the pawls the pointed extremity of pawl 9 will bear upward against the under side of the slide II contiguous to the longitudinal edge of recess ni. Now supposing a washer of a commercial size of thesame diameter of a cent and about thesame thickness should be substituted for the cent. When the slide has been moved forward until the central opening of the washer is above the point of pawl 9, said pawl will'be automatically raised and its tip bearing against the edge of the washer-opening will prevent further progress of the slide. g

I prefer to make an opening 10 in the bedplate B immediately 'over and concentric with opening 0 in plate G, and I prefer to cover this opening by the inclined apron 12, the upper rear edge of which is secured to vertical portion of b of bed-plate B, substantially as shown. The openings 10 are designed for the purpose of permitting access to the slide should some device be introduced into the machine which could force its way past the pawl 9 and bolt is into position above opening 0-aud there become stuck, and the apron 12, in addition to hiding these openings 10 from view, is designed to deliver confoc- IIO e4s,sea

tionery purchased down upon the bed-plate just back of theopenings 0.

When a coin is deposited in opening 0, the

'machine isoperated through the medium of plate G. Ata suitable point intermediate its length said push-bar has pivotally connected thereto a cross-bar '19, preferably of a length suflicient to extend on either side somewhat the pairs of sliding bars F.

beyond the middle of the space separating To each end of said cross-bar is pivotally secured an auxiliary member or cross-bar 21, extending into proximityto'a pair of the sliding bars F and connected with said, bars by means of forwardlyextending links 20, substantially as shown in Fig. 4. This connection enables any one of the sliding plates II which may have been supplied with the required coin in the manner heretofore described to be operated, so as to cause the delivery of a package of gum from the corresponding chute without causing the delivery mechanism of any of the other chutes to operate. Suppose, for example, that the coin has been properlyinserted in the opening of the extreme right-hand section of the machine and the operating-button pressed upon. The rod 18 will .be forced inward, carrying the cross-rod 19 with it, and all of the plates II will be moved rearward together. Before anyone of the bars F has been moved rearwardfar enough to actuate its ejector, however, the points as of the three empty slide-plates II will come into contact With'the corresponding bolts 70, stopping all further rearward movement on the part of those slides. The pressure on the button continuing, the cross-rod 19, being completely checked on its left-hand end, will tilt, so as to continue the rearward movement of the right-hand half thereof. responding tilting of the auxiliary member 21, attached to said right-hand section of the cross-bar, as said member is itself held against rearward motion at its left-hand extremity by reason of the engagement of the point x of its slide H with a bolt 1., as described. right-hand end of the'member, however, is free to continue its movement, as its plate H is equipped with the proper coin, and the rod F ispushed forward thereby until the limit of rearward movement'is reached, and the ejector is raised ready for operation in the manner heretofore described. The operation would of course be substantially the same were any other of the slides to be operated, the links 21 serving to take up any lateral play caused by the tilting of the cross-bars in either direction.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a coin-operated vending-machine, the combination with a bed-plate having a coinopening therein, a retaining-plate having a longitudinal channel in the portion thereof under said coin -opening and a coindis- This causes a cor-.

charge openingtherein to the rear of andfin longitudinal alinement with said coin-opening, and an autornatically returnable transversely-reciprocal bolt normally extending into said channel, of an antomaticallyreturnable longitudinally-movable slide having a coin-receiving opening therein and provided with a longitudinally-elongated rectangular recess so shaped that the proper coin in said coin-receiving opening will, when the slide is moved to the rear, engage and push aside said bolt. f

'2. In a coiiropel'ated vending-niachine, the combination with a bed-plate having a coinopening therein, a retaining-plate.provided with a longitudinal channel in the portion thereof immediately under said coin-opening having a coin-discharge opening therein to the rear of and in longitudinal alinement with said coin-opening, and an automatically-returnable transversel y reciprocal bolt the end edge of the portion of which normally projecting into said channel is curved, of an automatically returnable longitudinally movable slide having a coin-receiving opening therein and provided with a longitiulinallyelongated rectangular recess so shaped that the proper coin in said coin-receiving opening will, when the slide is moved. to therear, engage and push aside said bolt.

3. In a coin-operated vending-machine, the combination with a bed-plate having coinopenings therein, a retaining-plate provided with a longitudinal channel in the portion thereof immediately under said coin-opening,

a coin-discharge opening therein to the rear I of and in longitudinal alinement with said coin-opening, and an anthematically-returnable transversely-reciprocal bolt having the portion thereof which normally extends into said channel stepped to a less thickness than the remainder thereof and having its end edge curved, of an antomatically-returnable longitudinally-movable slide having a coin-r0 ceiving opening therein and provided with a longitudinallyelongated rectangular recess so shaped that the proper coin in said coin-receiving opening will, when the slide is moved to therear, engage and push aside said bolt.

4. In a coin-operated vending-machine the combination with a bed-plate having coinopening therein, a retaining-plate providedwith a longitudinal channel in the portion thereof immediately. under said coin-opening which has a discharge-opening therein to the rear-of and'in longitudinal alinement with said coin-opening, an automatically-return able transversely-reciprocal bolt having the portion thereof which normally extends into the coin as the same are moved over it, of I an automatically-returnable longitudinallymovable slide having'a coin-receiving opening therein and provided with a longitudinally-elon gated rectangular recess so shaped that the proper coin in said c0in-receiving opening will, when the slide is moved to thercar, engage and push aside said bolt.

5. Ina coin-operated vending-machine, the combination with a bed plate having coinopcnings therein, a retaining-plate with a Ion; gitudinal channel in the portion thereof immediately under said coin-opening which has a coin-discharge opening therein to the roar of and in longitudinal alineinent with said coin-opening, and a spring-actuated pawl 9 the point of which extends in a forward direction upward through a suitable slot in the retaining-plate and normally bears against the under side of the slide, of an automatically-returnable longitud'inally-movable slide having a coin-receiving opening-therein and provided with a longitudinally-elongated rectangular recess as and for the purpose set forth. n f

(i. In a coin-operated vending-machine, the combination;with a bed-plate having coinopcnin gs therein; a retaining-plate with a longitudinal channel in the portion thereof immediately under said coin-opening which is provided with a'coin-discharge opening there in tothe rear of" and in longitudinal alinement with said opening and a spring-actuated pawl 9 and automaticallyreturnable transvcrsely-reciprocal bolt having the portion thereof which normally extends into said channel stopped to a less thickness than the remainder thereof andhaving' its end portion curved, of an antomatically-returnable longitudinally-movable slide having a coin-receiving opening therein and provided with a the lower horizontal portion of said bed-plate and having longitudinal channels in its upper surface arranged in longitudinal alinement with said coin-openings and having coin-discharge openings in the rear portion of said channels, a longitudinal slidehaving acoinopening therein and having a rectangular recess m as described which reciprocates in said channels, aspring-returnable sliding bar F to the forward upturned end of which said slide is connected, and a spring-actuated ejector which is L-shaped and is pivoted at its inner angle to the top of the rear vertical portion of bar F, as and for the purpose set forth;

WILLIAM F. BAGLEY: Witnesses:

L. G. SUSEVEIHL, FRANK D. THOMASON. 

